SYSTEMATIC SEARCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 25 October 1941, Page 5

SYSTEMATIC SEARCH

FOR ASSASSINS OF HOLTZ NAZI CORDON ROUND NANUS FRANCE HORRIFIED AT Bit II \LITY London. Oct. 23 The French police in Nantes are helping the Germans to make a systematic combing-out of the inha hi (ants in an effort to find tlie assassins of Lieutenant-< olonel Holt/. Herman troops formed a cordon round Nantes and the suburbs On hours before the expiration at midnight to-night of the ultimatum regarding the execution of a further 50 hostages, and no one is allowed lo leave the city. There is no coni munieation between Nantes and the The authorities arc now scare lung sailants of the major who was murder ed in Bordeaux. A police official stated to-night that there was no clue as to the whereabout of either the Bordeaux or Naples assailants. to-day and another in Floirac for pos session of arms. Another Communist cell has been discovered in Pans, and 12 persons were arrested. CHOICE OF HOSTAGES The German news agency states that political circles have indignantly denied a 8.8. C. announcement that French-German relations have ended as a result of the German retaliation for the shooting of the officers. "The political circles interpret that announcement as an admission of in tention to disturb and even sabotage French-German relations by such shootings,” the agency declares. “This point will be kept in mind in the choice of the hostages who must .suffer for murders. The hostages will be those who -have compromised themselves by the possession of arms or the distribution of leatlets or who have identified themselves to some degree with such General de Gaulle, the Free French leader, in a broadcast to the French people, said: "In the present circumstances, do not kill Germans.” It was only too easy for tlie enemy to retaliate against disarmed men. he said. He assured the French people that they would receive orders as soon as it was possible for them to take action from outside and inside. Reports state that ail France is horrified at the extent and brutality of the reprisals for the killing of one German officer. One report says that the people of unoccupied France are stupefied, though the Vichy Government had forbidden the publication in that zone of the reprisal proclamation recently issued by the Nazi command-er-in-chief in France.—U.P.A.